Part 15 (1/2)
”Well, well, well,” said Joshua, ”every little helps, and I expect you'll find her more use than you think for. Even a child is known by its doings, as Solomon says.”
Mrs Greenways interposed hastily, for she feared the beginning of what she called Joshua's ”preachments.”
”You'd like to have seen her, maybe; but she's gone with Agnetta to the Vicarage to take some eggs. Mrs Leigh likes to see the gals now and then.”
Joshua made his visit as long as he could in the hope of Lilac's return, but she did not appear, and at last he could wait no longer.
”Well, I'll go and have a look round for Peter,” he said; ”and p'r'aps you'll send Lilac up one day to see me. She was always a favourite of mine, was Lilac White. And I'd a deal of respect for her poor mother too. Any day as suits your convenience.”
”Oh, she can come any day as for that, Mr Snell,” replied Mrs Greenways with a little toss of her head. ”It doesn't make no differ in a house whether a child like that goes or stays. She's plenty of time on her hands.”
”That's settled then, ma'am,” said Joshua, ”and I shall be looking to see her soon.”
He made his farewell, leaving Mrs Greenways not a little annoyed that no mention had been made of Agnetta in this invitation.
”Not that she'd go,” she said to herself, ”but he might a asked her as well as that little bit of a Lilac.”
It was quite a long time before she found it possible to allow Lilac to make this visit, for although she was small and useless and made no differ in the house, there were a wonderful number of things for her to do. Lilac's work increased; other people beside Mrs Greenways discovered the advantage of her willing hands, and were glad to put some of their own business into them.
Thus the care of the poultry, which had been shuffled off Bella's shoulders on to Agnetta, now descended from her to Lilac, the number of eggs brought in much increasing in consequence. Lilac liked this part of her daily task; she was proud to discover the retired corners and lurking-places of the hens, and fill her basket with the brown and pink eggs. Day by day she took more interest in her feathered family, and began to find distinguis.h.i.+ng marks of character or appearance in each, she even made plans to defeat the inroads of the rats by coaxing her charges to lay their eggs in the barn, where they were more secure.
”Hens is sillier than most things,” said Ben, when she confided her difficulties to him; ”what they've done once they'll do allers, it's no good fightin' with 'em.” He consented, however, to nail some boards over the worst holes in the barn, and by degrees, after infinite patience, Lilac succeeded in making some of the hens desert their old haunts and use their new abode. All this was encouraging. And about this time a new interest indoors arose which made her life at Orchards Farm less lonely, and was indeed an event of some importance to her. It happened in this way. Ever since her arrival she had watched the proceedings of Molly in the dairy with great attention. She had asked questions about the b.u.t.ter-making until Molly was tired of answering, and had often begged to be allowed to help. This was never refused, although Molly opened her eyes wide at the length of time she took to clean and rinse and scour, and by degrees she was trusted with a good deal of the work. The day came when she implored to be allowed to do it all--just for once. Molly hesitated; she had as usual a hundred other things to do and would be thankful for the help, but was such a bit of a thing to be trusted? On the whole, from her experience of Lilac she concluded that she was.
”You won't let on to the missus as how you did it?” she said. And this being faithfully promised, Lilac was left in quiet possession of the dairy. She felt almost as excited about that batch of b.u.t.ter as if her life depended on it. Suppose it should fail? ”But there!” she said to herself, ”I won't think of that; I will make it do,” and she set to work courageously. And now her habits of care and neatness and thoroughness formed in past years came to her service, as well as her close observation of Molly. Nothing was hurried in the process, every small detail earnestly attended to, and at last trembling with excitement and triumph she saw the result of her labours. The b.u.t.ter was a complete success. As she stood in the cool dark dairy with the firm golden pats before her, each bearing the sharply-cut impression of the stamp, Lilac clasped her hands with delight. She had not known such a proud moment in all her life, except on the day when she had been Queen. And this was a different sort of pride, for it was joy in her own handiwork-- something she herself had done with no one to help her. ”Oh,” she said to herself, ”if Mother could but see that, how rare an' pleased she'd be!” Maybe she did, but how silent it was without her voice to say ”Well done”, and how blank without her face to smile on her child's success.
There was no one to sympathise but Molly, who came in presently with loud exclamations of surprise.
”So you've got through? Lor'-a-mussy, what a handy little thing it is!
And you won't ever let on to missus or any of 'em?”
Lilac never did ”let on.” She kept Molly's secret faithfully, and saw her b.u.t.ter packed up and driven off to Lenham without saying a word.
And from this time forward the making up of the b.u.t.ter, and sometimes the whole process, was left in her hands. It was not easy work, for all the things she had to use were too large and heavy for her small hands, and she had to stand on a stool to turn the handle of the big churn.
But she liked it, and what she lacked in strength she made up in zeal; it was far more interesting than scrubbing floors and scouring saucepans. Molly, too, was much satisfied with this new arrangement, for the dairy had always brought her more scolding from her mistress than any part of her work, and all now went on much more smoothly.
Lilac wondered sometimes that her aunt never seemed to notice how much she was in the dairy, or called her away to do other things; she always spoke as if it were Molly alone who made the b.u.t.ter. In truth Mrs Greenways knew all about it, and was very content to let matters go on as they were; but something within her, that old jealousy of Lilac and her mother, made it impossible for her to praise her niece for her services. She could not do it without deepening the contrast between her own daughters and Lilac, which she felt, but would not acknowledge even to herself. So Lilac got no praise and no thanks for what she did, and though she found satisfaction in turning out the b.u.t.ter well for its own sake, this was not quite enough. A very small word or look would have contented her. Once when her uncle said: ”The b.u.t.ter's good this week,” she thought her aunt must speak, and glanced eagerly at her, but Mrs Greenways turned her head another way and no words come. Lilac felt hurt and disappointed.
It was a busier time than usual at the farm just now, though there was always plenty for everyone to do. It was hay harvest and there were extra hands at work, extra cooking to do, and many journeys to be made to and from the hayfield. Lilac was on the run from morning till night, and even Bella and Agnetta were obliged to bestir themselves a little.
In the big field beyond the orchard where the gra.s.s had stood so tall and waved its flowery heads so proudly, it was now lying low on the ground in the bright hot sun. The sky was cloudless, and the farmer's brow had cleared a little too, for he had a splendid crop and every chance of getting it in well.
”To-morrow's Lenham fete,” said Agnetta to Lilac one evening.
”It's a pity but what you can go,” answered Lilac.
”We are going,” said Agnetta triumphantly, ”spite of Peter and Father being so contrary; and we ain't a-going to walk there neither!”
”How are you goin' to get there, then?” asked Lilac.
”Mr Buckle, he's goin' to drive us over in his gig,” said Agnetta. ”My I shan't we cut a dash? Bella, she's goin' to wear her black silk done up. We've washed it with beer and it rustles beautiful just like a new one. And she's got a hat turned up on one side and trimmed with Gobelin.”
”What's that?” asked Lilac, very much interested.